


Worth the Wait

by fictionallemons



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Barista Jared Padalecki, Coffee, Coffee Shops, Divorce, First Kiss, First Time, First Time Blow Jobs, Friends to Lovers, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Post-Divorce, Soft Jared Padalecki, Soft Jensen Ackles, Teacher Jensen Ackles, first time in a long time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:48:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22166653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionallemons/pseuds/fictionallemons
Summary: Jared and Jensen are just two guys who see each other at the coffee shop a few times a week. Jared doesn't flirt with married customers, and Jensen is very married. Until he isn't.
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 41
Kudos: 217





	1. Chapter 1

Jared remembered the first time Jensen came into City Coffee like it was yesterday, even though nearly two years had passed. He'd been new on the job, and still a little nervous about plugging in the right commands on the computer, especially during the morning rush when the customers, still in need of their caffeine fixes, weren't exactly patient.

So one morning in December when Jared had barely made it through three complicated orders in a row, he'd wearily asked the next customer what he could make for him without even looking up. The customer's voice, whiskey over gravel, had asked for a plain black coffee. Jared let out a fervent, spontaneous, "Thank fuck," typed in the order, and raised his relieved hazel eyes to meet amused green ones.

"Uh, sorry, just—" They weren't exactly supposed to be swearing in front of customers, but hopefully the guy wouldn't give him a hard time about it.

"It's okay." 

Jared pulled his gaze away from the green eyes to take in the rest of the customer's face and nearly swore again. There was a smile on the guy's mouth, and what a mouth it was—in fact, everything about this guy's face was gorgeous. It took every ounce of Jared's self control not to swear again out of sheer appreciation. His internal Cher Horowitz was definitely letting out a breathy " _Damn_ ," and he could only hope that this guy was a gay as Christian in the movie was.

Then Jared remembered the line of people standing behind Green Eyes and it wasn't getting any shorter. "Name?" he asked automatically.

"Jensen."

 _Jensen._ Jared let it settle into his bones for all of two seconds, then stammered out the price and took Jensen's money, handing him change that made it immediately into the tip jar.

"Thanks, Jensen," he managed to say, before the guy shuffled off to the side with the rest of the addicts waiting for their fix.

The next time Jensen came in, it wasn't as busy. Jared had time to register that Jensen was as hot as he remembered, and also noticed that he had a gold band wrapped around his ring finger. Jensen seemed a little young to be married, but looks could be deceiving. Jared himself was 24, but he still got carded practically every time he went out drinking with his friends.

It took a few weeks, but Jared was able to get over his disappointment that Jensen was married and started actually getting to know him. They were both from Texas, both missed home but not enough to move back. Jensen was a history teacher at a middle school, and assistant football coach besides. He always ordered black coffee and very occasionally a bran muffin. 

Over the months, Jared started to forget just how breathtaking Jensen was, how his eyes were somehow Jared's exact favorite color, and simply started liking him a person. He no longer got butterflies when Jensen walked through the door, though he was always glad to see him, always happy for a chance to tease him about the spot of shaving cream he missed on his jaw, or to wish him luck with his team's big game. They were friends, if it could be called friendship if they only ever saw each other at City Coffee between 6:45 and 7:15 a few mornings a week.

There were things they talked about: Jensen's job. Jared's masters program in museum administration that he was working on while working full time at City Coffee and volunteering at two local museums. Sports and barbecue and movies and music and even, occasionally, coffee.

There were things they didn't talk about: Jensen's wife, though he'd mentioned her name, just once. _Georgia._ Jared had swallowed the name with difficulty. The name made her real. He imagined her, beautiful and high maintenance with a name like Georgia. But Jensen rarely brought her up, and he had never once brought her to City Coffee. They also didn't talk about Jared's personal life, though Jared had tried to make it clear to Jensen that he was gay, just so it didn't seem like he was trying to hide anything. But he wasn't sure if Jensen had ever fully picked up on it, and Jared wasn't sure why he hadn't made it more of a thing. It was just one of those conversational blind spots that they avoided for some unspoken reason.

One morning, two years after Jensen had started coming to City Coffee, he arrived later than usual, spared Jared a smile but was otherwise quiet. When Jared passed him his coffee, there was something different about him. He seemed to be vibrating with a kind of manic energy, like he was about to start running, or about to throw a punch. 

"Are you okay?" Jared asked quietly.

"What? Oh? Sort of. Not really." Jensen took the coffee and drained half in one scalding sip.

"Hey, Jensen, what's—what's wrong?" Jared put a hand on Jensen's shoulder, a little hesitantly. Their coffee shop friendship had never extended to physical contact before. Jensen's shoulder was warm and solid under his hand, but Jensen almost jumped out of his skin at the touch. Jared lifted his hand, not wanting to spook him further.

"Sorry, I just—you look a little wound up."

"Yeah. Um. I'm, on my way to my attorney's office. Took the day off work."

"Everything all right?"

"It will be," Jensen said grimly. Then his face cleared. "Hey, Jared, thanks, for asking, you know. I'm fine. I'm going to be fine. I'll see you tomorrow." He smiled a little then, small but genuine. "Yeah, tomorrow."

And then he left and Jared stared after him until he'd long since disappeared from view. 

***

Jared was relieved to see Jensen the next morning as promised. He rolled in at his usual time, his work bag slung over his shoulder, familiar green button-down that meant he had a staff meeting at work that day.

"Hey, the usual?" Jared asked.

"And a muffin, please." Jensen's smile was a little bigger than yesterday, and he seemed much calmer. Jared's own stress level dropped seeing his friend nearly back to normal.

"You got it." He got Jensen's order ready himself, not above pulling rank over the two newbies he was working with, walking Jensen's order over to him so he could check that his friend was really okay.

He held out the bag with the muffin and Jensen reached out to take it. Jared froze, bag inches from Jensen's outstretched hand. "Your ring—" The wedding band that Jensen had worn every day that Jared had known him was gone.

"Oh. Yeah. I took it off when I signed the papers yesterday."

"The papers?" Jared was missing something.

Jensen cleared his throat. "My, uh, divorce papers. I'm officially divorced."

Jared's stomach swooped unpleasantly as he processed about ten competing emotions at once. "Oh my god, I had no idea you were going through that. Are you okay?" He knew that he and Jensen didn't usually talk about their personal lives that much, but he would have thought that Jensen might mention the fact his marriage was ending. Divorces didn't happen overnight, did they?

"It's kind of a long story. And it's been a long time coming. A real long time." Jensen looked at the floor, then back up at Jared. "But I'm okay, really. It's for the best, believe me. I just—I guess I'm not used to it, yet."

"Sure, yeah, that makes sense," Jared babbled. He really didn't know what to say—hardly any of his friends were even married yet, let alone divorced, but Jensen didn't seem sad, exactly, that his relationships with his wife was over, just a little uncertain. "It's still new."

"Right. It's just…it's been so long since I was single. I almost don't know what to do with myself. Georgia and I were still living together until yesterday, even. She's moving all her things out today, but—yeah, it's…different."

They were divorcing and still living together? Jared felt his mouth go into a flat line of disapproval. Jensen had clearly been through something traumatic, even if he was trying to shrug it off. "Let me take you out after work," he said, without thinking it through. "To…" _Celebrate_ seemed like the wrong word, but there was something in Jensen's eyes…he needed to be around people who cared about him, that much was plain to see. "To toast to a new phase of life."

"A new phase. Yeah." Jensen's hand tightened around his coffee cup. "That actually sounds…yeah, okay. Thanks."

"Okay, great. Meet me at…Marco Polo? Six?"

"Yeah. Sounds good, thanks, Jared." Jensen backed toward the door. "Although, are you sure you won't turn into a pumpkin if you step outside the walls of City Coffee?"

"Huh?"

"It's just I've never once seen you except in here. Wasn't sure if you were actually a ghost tied to this place forever or something."

"You'll have to show up tonight to find out," Jared said, letting a note of flirtation enter his voice. Jensen just laughed. The bells on the front door chimed as he let himself out.

It was weird—he and Jensen never flirted. Talked, bantered, yes. But never outright flirtation. Because Jensen was taken and straight and Jared didn't crush on his straight friends, no matter how perfect their lips and biceps and stupidly gelled hair were. But this, this was different. Jensen wasn't taken. He was single, by his own admission. And that changed everything.


	2. Chapter 2

Jensen's staff meeting ran long, so didn't have time to go home and change before meeting Jared at the pub he'd named earlier. He had to satisfy himself with splashing water on his face, re-applying the deodorant he kept in his desk drawer for emergencies. His hair looked okay, a little wilted after a day dealing with angsty adolescents and territorial teachers, but fine. It wasn't like this was a date or anything. This was—something else. It was just a drink with Jared, from the coffee shop. 

Jensen dropped his head into his hands and groaned. This was such a bad idea. 

Because Jared had never been just Jared from the coffee shop. From the moment Jensen had walked into City Coffee the day his normal coffee spot had been closed because of a water leak, he couldn't get Jared's expressive, friendly eyes out of his head. Or his enormous hands that always seemed to dwarf the coffee cups he handed Jensen with surprising gentleness every time. Or his smiles, sometimes goofy, sometimes sly, always a bright spot in Jensen's day. 

But none of that mattered. Jared was a friend, and god knew Jensen didn't have an over abundance of those these days. It had been hard enough keeping up appearances with Georgia's friends these last few years, Jensen hadn't had the heart to lie to the few friends he'd made in the city and over the years they'd slowly drifted away.

So he had no reason to be nervous about meeting Jared at Marco Polo. He hadn't been there in years, since before Georgia, but he remembered it, dark and warm with wide wood booths and lots of on-tap brews. He also remembered its proximity to the gay bar on the next block, which he'd also visited more than occasionally. Before Georgia, of course.

Jensen's life so far could be pretty much split between Before Georgia, and During Georgia. But he was actually entering a new phase, as Jared had astutely put it—After Georgia. He was elated and nervous and terrified and he almost decided not to go six times, but each time he realized he didn't have Jared's number to call and cancel and he wasn't so broken that he had to stand up one of his only friends in the city, even if that friend thought that Jensen was some pathetic 30-year-old divorcee. 

He'd worked himself up into a bit of an anxiety attack by the time he reached the bar a couple of minutes after six. He pushed open the door and spotted Jared right away, chatting with the bartender. He wasn't sitting on a stool, just leaning against the bar, which gave Jensen the chance to admire his mile-long legs encased in crisp dark denim. Jensen had never had the opportunity to admire Jared's ass before, since the City Coffee uniform consisted of khakis and oversized polo shirts that hung low, preventing their employees from being ogled. Jensen, knowing what he did now about the shape and tautness of Jared's ass, had mixed feelings on the matter. On the one hand, he resented knowing Jared for two years without realizing the extent of his hotness, on the other, he was relieved that even if he hadn't, neither had any of the other patrons of City Coffee.

Jensen's gaze reluctantly left Jared's rear, and slid up to take in his plaid button-down shirt. It stretched across his unfairly broad shoulders, and the sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, exposing long, tanned forearms. Jensen _had_ known about Jared's forearms but somehow they seemed even more attractive outside of the coffee shop. His mouth was dry and he took one half step back before Jared glanced over his shoulder, saw Jensen and broke into a huge smile.

"You made it!" Jared seemed genuinely happy to see him.

Jensen made himself swallow back his inappropriately lusty thoughts, smiled back. "And you aren't a pumpkin."

"Well, it's not midnight yet," Jared said with one of his laughing smiles.

"Right." Oh god. He couldn't do this. It had been too long. He was too rusty. And this wasn't even a date, just a pity beer with his coffee shop crush. There must have been something in his expression, because Jared pushed back from the bar and walked over, concern in his pretty eyes.

"Hey, we don't have to stay here if you don't want. You hungry? I love their burgers, but we could go get pizza, or—" God, Jared was way too nice. Jensen was so screwed.

"Burgers sound great," he heard himself say, and Jared relaxed again.

"Great. Booth okay?"

***

An hour later, they were both on their second pint of draft, had decimated their burgers, and were doing their best to deplete the once-giant pile of fries between them. Jensen was relaxed and had a sort of floaty feeling in his chest that he realized was happiness. Jared's long legs knocked against his from time to time under the table, but it wasn't awkward. In fact, Jared had been carrying most of the conversation, telling stories of nightmare customers at the coffee shop, making Jensen laugh to the point of tears.

Jensen was grateful that Jared hadn't brought up the whole divorce thing. It was nice to just pretend to be a normal guy out for a drink with a friend. But when Jared asked him if he wanted another round, he hesitated. It wasn't that he didn't want to keep hanging out with Jared, because he didn't think there would ever be an occasion when that wouldn't be the case. But he was worried if he drank any more the whole sad story would come pouring out of him and then Jared would know and Jensen wouldn't be able to look him in the eye again—at City Coffee or anywhere else.

Jared backed off when Jensen's pause went on. "Hey, it's okay. You got an early start tomorrow?"

The next day was Saturday, so no. All Jensen had on his calendar was clean his apartment since the movers had been there all day taking away Georgia's things and the place was probably a wreck. She'd never been the one to keep their place in order, anyway. That had been all down to him.

"One more beer," Jensen heard himself saying. "I'll get it." He went to the bar and ordered, glanced back and found Jared looking at him. Jared seemed to blush a little at having been caught looking and Jensen felt another sensation under his ribs that took a while to identify. Attraction. Maybe a little hope.

He carried the beers back to the table carefully. He set Jared's down and slid behind his side of the booth, taking a large sip of his, even though he wasn't sure there was enough beer in this joint to give him the courage he needed to say what he was about to say.

"You ever go to Camp?" he said, before he could stop himself.

Jared's gaze narrowed perceptibly. Camp was the gay bar a block away. Jensen was about 90% sure that Jared was gay—he wasn't so socially inept that when the coffee shop guy wears a pride pin on his apron and talks about his volunteer work at the local LGBTQ community center the meaning went totally over his head. But he had to be sure.

"Yeah, I actually haven't been there in a while. But yeah." Jared's voice was low.

"Me either," Jensen laughed uncomfortably. "Been there in a while, I mean. Since I got married. But I used to go there a lot." He willed Jared to read between the lines so he wouldn't have to spell it out.

Jared just shrugged calmly. "I like their margaritas."

Jensen let out a breath. He wasn't going to make a big deal about it. That's why Jensen loved him. Wait, not _loved_ him, loved him, just—god. "The blood orange ones were pretty good as I remember."

Jared grinned. "Yeah."

"Hey, Jared, um, I know we're not the kind of friends who ask favors from each other—hell, until a little while ago I had no definitive proof that your legs weren't actually made of khaki—but I'm going to ask a favor from you anyway and you can of course totally 100% say no and I swear it'll be fine." He dared a look up from his barely touched third beer. Jared had an inscrutable look on his face, but it wasn't annoyance or skepticism. It seemed a little…fond?

"What's the favor?" Jared's voice was mellow and his face was open and even though Jensen was totally scared shitless right now, he had to do it.

"Would you take me home and have sex with me? Tonight?"


	3. Chapter 3

Jared had been pretty sure that Jensen had been working up to something, between the light, cutely inept flirting, and the blushes that stole onto his cheeks every time he caught Jared looking at him, and the not-all-that-surprising tidbit about his previous experience frequenting the only good gay bar in town. But he hadn't exactly known how far Jensen wanted to go. Blatant invitation to sex hadn't even been on Jared's radar. Another date or two, some hand-holding…hell, the man had just gotten out of a five-year marriage, Jared was willing to go slow. Especially if it meant he had a chance with the guy he'd been oh-so-careful not to crush on since the moment they met.

But this was…something else. He studied Jensen's face. His cheeks were a little red, making his freckles stand out and his skin contrast adorably with his green eyes. But he didn't look like he was joking. To the contrary, he looked deadly serious. Jared swallowed with difficulty. "Ah—"

"You're not interested—it's okay, pretend I never said—"

"Wait." Jared let out a slightly hysterical giggle. "Just, let me talk for a second, okay?"

Jensen closed his mouth.

"Sorry, I just, I'm interested, of course, I'm interested, Jensen. I mean—look at you. I've had to tell myself every day for two years to not be interested just to keep my sanity, okay?" Jensen's shoulder lost their rigidity and he parted his lips again as if he was about to say something. Jared raised a hand to stop him. "But we're going from zero to sixty here, Jensen, and I don't know if I can keep up."

"Right, of course, sorry. It's just—" Jensen bit his lip and Jared actually had to hold back a groan because the sight of that was the hottest thing ever and he'd just told this man that he was moving too fast for him. _Idiot._

"I better tell you about Georgia, and then you'll see why I…why I asked you to—"

"I'm listening."

Jensen squared his shoulders, then sat back in the booth, fiddling with the coaster under his beer, but not drinking. "Well, back in my Camp days, there was this guy. I hadn't lived in the city very long, and I hadn't been out very long, either. I fell kind of hard, thought this was it, that we were in love and all that jazz. When it turned out we weren't, or he wasn't anyway, I walked straight out of his apartment where I found him screwing another guy and into the first bar I saw. And I met Georgia." He paused, a sort of unhappy smile flitted across his face. "She was drunk, at some bachelorette party for a friend from work or something, soused on shots. I was angry enough, hurt enough to let her talk me into coming home with her. She was pretty, and fun, and I thought this is what I need—a palate cleanser, nothing complicated—and then after three weeks she tells me she's pregnant."

Jared felt the words like a punch to the gut. This story wasn't going anywhere good. 

"Three weeks after that we got married at City Hall. Three weeks after that, she lost the baby. And three weeks after that, I told her I was gay and wanted out and she told me her grandfather had left her a huge trust fund but she couldn't access it until she was 35 unless she was married. Then she could get it at 28. In five years. She gave me my freedom—she didn't want me, she just wanted the piece of paper saying we were married—but I couldn't…I couldn't be with someone else while still being married, even if it was a marriage in name only. I guess I'm kind of stupidly traditional that way." 

Jensen was staring pretty hard at his beer, definitely not making eye contact with Jared. Jared was glad that Jensen didn't have to see the expression of pure helplessness he knew was on his face. 

"And I felt bad, you know, that I'd led her on, that she lost the baby. We were both pretty broken up about that, actually. So I stayed. We lived together the whole time, like roommates. Until yesterday. She turned twenty-eight three months ago, she got her trust fund, we got the divorce rolling, and here I am. Thirty, divorced. And I haven't had sex in half a decade."

Jensen finally looked up, finally met Jared's gaze. Jared tried to school his face into neutrality, not let on that his heart was breaking for his friend.

"So for you, I'm moving fast, and I apologize. But I've wanted you every day for two years and I just…I didn't want to wait any more."

Jared felt the words wash over him. He felt Jensen's trust, his vulnerability, his need radiating between them. "Then let's not wait any longer, Jensen." He stood up and held out his hand, steady and sure. Jensen looked at it, then he put his hand in Jared's. Jared pulled him out of the booth, so they were standing face to face, a foot apart, still clasping hands. Jensen was a few inches shorter than Jared, but he was still a big guy. He was strong. He was beautiful, too. Jared had never wanted anybody the way he wanted Jensen. His heart was full for the man standing in front of him, the man holding his hand. It was so full he couldn't find his voice, until Jensen quirked up one side of his mouth and said, "I thought we weren't waiting."

"Right." Jared shook himself out of his thoughts, cleared his clogged throat. "I live five blocks from here."

"Lead the way."

They took their time, even though it was dark, and cold, but once they'd made the decision, there was really no rush. Jared had to let go of Jensen's hand so they could shrug into the jackets, pay their tab, but he took it again once they were outside, needing the contact, needing to preserve some semblance of his first-date ritual. All the while he was trying not to build up what was going to happen too large in his mind. It had been a couple of months since he'd slept with anyone but _five years._ Fuck. That was a long time.

"Stop thinking about it," Jensen said, startling Jared.

"Sorry."

"I wouldn't have told you, but—"

"It's okay," Jared broke in. "I'm glad you told me. You have a habit of not telling me much. It's a habit I'd like to see you break."

"Yeah?" Jensen squeezed Jared's hand, looked at him sideways. "I could tell you some things."

"Like what?"

"Like your eyes keep me company when I'm bored at school. I try to figure out what color they are."

Jared laughed and ducked his head. He'd had no idea that Jensen had thought that much about him, had studied him that much. It made him feel heady and light.

"So what color are they?"

Jensen laughed, a sweet sound that Jared felt right in his gut. "I have no idea."

Then he stopped walking, tugged Jared toward him. Jared felt the pull with every cell in his body. 

"Right now they look brown, like the coffee I drink every morning." 

Jared couldn't stop staring at Jensen's lips as they formed the words.

"But sometimes in the morning, they're green, almost yellow. Like a cat."

"Jensen?"

"Yeah?"

"Stop talking so I can kiss you."

Jensen's eyes widened a fraction, but he stayed quiet. Jared leaned in, closing his eyes at the last second, his hands finding Jensen's waist, the tips of his ears cold in the December night air, but his mouth, god, his mouth was burning up the second he touched Jensen's lips with his. They were soft and yielding and he tasted sweetly sour like the yeasty beer they'd been drinking. 

Jared kept the kiss light, because they were still a couple of blocks from his place and if he went much farther, those two blocks would be painful. He nipped at the corner of Jensen's mouth, pulled back. Jensen's eyes were closed and his nose was a little red. His lips looked wet and pink and—fuck it—Jared had to go back for another taste. 

This time, he slid his hand around Jensen's lower back, pressing him closer, and Jensen went, melting a little into his chest, tipping his head up to give Jared more access. And then Jensen opened his mouth, just a little, and the feel of Jensen's tongue sneaking along the seam of his mouth had Jared rock hard and panting in two seconds. Jared sucked at the tip of Jensen's tongue and they both groaned. It was torture, but Jared pulled away a second time, breathing hard. "We—we gotta keep moving. Two more blocks."

They stumbled together, hands finding each other again, but closer this time. Jensen made a short little laugh that had Jared looking over at him. He was staring at the ground as they navigated sidewalk. "So, I know I'm a little rusty but that was good, right?"

"Fucking amazing." Jared watched the smile bloom on Jensen's face. Shit. He was gone.

"Yeah." Jensen cleared his throat, affected a bored tone. "That's what I thought."

Jared couldn't keep the silly grin off his face for the rest of the walk.


	4. Chapter 4

Jared's place was exactly the kind of place Jensen had started out in when he'd first moved to the city—efficient and cozy. In other words, small. But he didn't give a fuck about the setting, though he looked forward to having a chance to browse the titles on Jared's bookshelves and to familiarizing himself with Jared's coffee maker. Don't get ahead of yourself he thought sternly, or he would have, if all the thoughts hadn't been pushed out of his head the minute the door closed behind them by a large, handsome male attaching himself to Jensen's lips.

They kissed for a long time, first against the door, then leaning against the back of the sofa, then against the wall of the tiny hallway leading to the single bedroom. Jensen reveled in the feeling of having someone warm and welcoming pressed against him. He'd missed it—being touched. He'd missed the weight of someone, the heat and the sweat, the smells and the sounds, of having someone invade your personal space so thoroughly you weren't sure where you left off and they began.

And Jared was an amazing kisser, assiduous to detail. He didn't neglect a centimeter of Jensen's mouth, but he was creative, too, kissing the bow of lips, then hollow of his cheeks, his eyebrows, his Adam's apple, everywhere he could reach with his soft lips was fair game. "Damn," Jensen said after long minutes of kissing left his lips feeling chapped and oversensitive. "I forgot how good it feels just to kiss."

"Mmm." Jared hummed against Jensen's jaw. "So good, Jensen. You're so good. Do you know how hard it was not to let myself want to do this every damn day you came into the shop?"

"You—you thought about this?" Jensen had pretty much convinced himself that his crush was one-sided. Sure, Jared was friendly, but he was like that with everyone.

"Only sometimes. When I couldn't help it anymore. Most of the time you were just the nice guy who orders bran muffins and over tips." Jared kissed his way across Jensen's collarbone, pulling aside the top of his button-down to expose the skin underneath. "But other times I'd look up and there you were, just as freaking gorgeous as the first time I saw you and I'd just— _crave_."

Jensen shuddered, his entire body hot, his skin too tight. "Jared—" he had to bite back something embarrassingly close to a sob. "—I need—"

"I know. Come on." Jared let up his assault on Jensen's collarbone, led him to the bedroom and flicked on a lamp. Jensen registered an enormous messy bed before Jared grabbed the hem of his undershirt—his flannel had been shrugged out of on the journey from the door to the couch—and lifted it up and over his head.

All Jensen could see was skin—beautiful skin covering well-defined muscles. His gaze slid up to Jared's face, to the predatory gleam in his eye. "You work in a coffee shop and a museum. How—?"

"I work out."

Jensen licked his lips. "I'll say."

Jared stepped forward, crowded Jensen against the bed. "It drives me crazy when you do that."

"Do you what?"

"Lick your lips."

Jensen couldn't help his tongue from reflexively touching the bow of his mouth. "Oh yeah?"

"Makes me wanna do things."

Jensen closed his eyes, imagining a hundred scenarios. "Do them," he choked out. "Please."

Jared didn't reply, just growled and then somehow they were both on the bed, and Jensen had wriggled out of his shoes. Jared's belt was off and Jensen sat up long enough to get rid of his own shirts.

"You look like you see your fair share of the gym," Jared said, tracing his finger down Jensen's flat stomach.

It took him a minute to find his voice. "Uh, yeah. Football coach. I usually do the drills with the team."

"Drills, huh?"

"Keeps me busy."

Jared just hummed, and bent his head to lick Jensen's nipple. His hips bucked forward instinctively, his head lolling back. Everything Jared did was lighting up neon signs in Jensen's head that screamed "yes," and "more," and "thank fuck this gorgeous man seems to want me as much as I want him." Or something.

Then more clothes came off, and enormous hands wrapped around his cock, and he almost shot then and there, but he held on with everything he had and panted, "Wait." Jared let go immediately, concern in his beautiful eyes.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just give me a second." A second wasn't going to help. But Jared seemed to understand. He lay back, unashamedly naked, his thick, full cock pointing straight up to his belly button. He looked better than any porn Jensen had ever seen, was hotter than any fantasy he'd dreamed up. He was Jared. Nice, thoughtful, concerned, smart, funny, Jared.

"This isn't just sex," Jensen found himself saying.

He inwardly cringed. Not what a guy wants to hear on a first-not-really-sort-of-date. Then again, nothing that Jensen had told Jared tonight was what anyone wanted to hear on a first date. And Jared had stuck around.

Jared nodded. "I know."

Jensen relaxed a touch. "Oh."

"So we have time. Now. Later…"

Jensen felt his eyes water uncomfortably. "I feel like I've wasted so much time."

"Hey." Jared pulled Jensen down on top of his chest. "I don't regret a second of any of the time I've spent with you."

Jensen let out a harsh breath. "Sorry I'm such a mess." He felt a kiss drop onto the top of his head.

"Don't be sorry, Jensen. We're here now. Let me take care of you."

"You're pretty good at that."

"Well, you are a good tipper," Jared teased.

"You like the tip?" Jensen asked, looking up at Jared through his wet lashes. He licked his lips deliberately. Just because emotions were more involved than he'd bargained for didn't mean he wasn't still dying to come. 

"Fuck," Jared groaned, leaning down for a kiss. Jensen let him stick his tongue in his mouth, and then he pulled away, scrambled to his knees straddling Jared's waist.

"Scoot down," he instructed, pushing at Jared's shoulders. Jared slid down the back of the bed, opened his mouth. Jensen fed him his cock an inch at a time, Jared's mouth a heaven of wet heat and suction, his hands finding purchase on Jensen's ass, digging in, pushing him closer, until his nose was buried in the hair at the base of Jensen's thick cock. Jensen felt Jared swallow around him and he moaned.

He didn't last long, but it didn't matter, he'd take the sight of Jared underneath him, his mouth stuffed full of Jensen's cock, his eyes slitted in concentration, to his grave. Jared swallowed everything as Jensen shuddered out his endless release. It's not like he hadn't come in five years. But there was something vastly different about spilling into the back of someone's throat than into his lonely, overused hand. He flopped down next to Jared, boneless and with fireworks still going off in his mind.

Jared kissed him softly on the lips and Jensen could taste himself.

"Your turn," he said, opening his eyes with effort. Jared started down at him, smiling the same fond smile he'd had in the bar.

"It's okay. I can wait."

"Dude, don't tell me you haven't wanted to get your cock in my mouth all night." Jensen wasn't unaware of the things people thought about his lips, his mouth. Usually he laughed off the comments, not letting on how uncomfortable they made him. But Jared was different. If Jared wanted him to suck his cock with his cocksucking lips, Jensen was all in.

Predictably enough, Jared groaned. "Fuck, Jensen. You know I want that. But I—this is going to sound dumb—"

"What?" Jensen was interested in anything that would make Jared seem less than perfect.

"I really want to be kissing you when I come. Would that be all right?"

Jensen's heart clenched. "Um, yeah, that would be all right."

They reversed positions, with Jensen sitting up against the headboard, Jared straddling him, Jensen's not-quite-soft cock lying against his thigh, Jared's hand wrapped around his own cock. They kissed--long, slow, deep kisses. Jensen could hear the slap of skin as Jared touched himself, Jensen helping him along, squeezing his tight ass cheeks, probing with a finger until his brushed up against Jared's hole. Jared grunted low and the kisses became more desperate. Everything sped up, the sounds, the clash of tongues, the insistent press of Jensen's finger, until Jared went rigid and Jensen felt the splash of warm fluid across his belly. 

They didn't stop kissing, not for a long time.

***

The next morning Jensen woke up disoriented; it had been five years since he'd woken up in a strange bed after all. He turned over, and saw Jared sleeping, dark lashes grazing the tops of his cheeks. He looked young and sweet and Jensen wanted to spend the day fucking his brains out.

After good morning hand jobs, Jared started making eggs for breakfast. Jensen glanced around the kitchen. "Hey man, where's your coffee maker?"

"Oh, uh, I don't have one."

"Excuse me?"

Jared smiled. "I don't drink coffee."

"I wanna break up."

Jared laughed. "Tough."

Then he kissed Jensen and Jensen forgot all about coffee, and eggs, and ex-wives and moving too fast. "I think I love you, Jared," he said, when they had to stop kissing to take the burning pan of eggs off the stove.

"I love you, Jensen," Jared said, soft and sure. Jensen hadn't heard those words in a very long time. "But one thing's for sure. We're going to have to go to the coffee shop for breakfast."

"Story of my life," Jensen said. And he couldn't be happier about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been a rough week and I just have to say thanks to every reader, whether you give kudos or comment or not. Writing is sometimes the only thing that keeps me going, so thanks for letting me share it with you. <3


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